The City Reliquary is a quirky museum located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that shows off New York City’s artifacts and ephemera: whether it is the permanent shrine to Dodgers great, Jackie Robinson or an exhibit looking at classic barbershops, this not-for-profit glorifies the city’s past.
The City Reliquary was founded by Dave Herman, who set up a makeshift museum and tour in his Williamsburg apartment’s window. Fast forward to 2016 and The City Reliquary has been informing folks about the history of New York City from their Metropolitan Avenue location for nearly a decade. This success is thanks to generous donations from the community and unique exhibits.
Some of the permanent exhibits include, “Statue of Liberty postcards, terracotta fragments of landmark buildings, subway tokens and countless other artifacts that tell unique stories of New York City’s past,” according to The City Reliquary.
But along with these permanent exhibits, the museum also rotates featured curations. Currently underway is Sonic City, which takes a look at some of “New York’s most innovative musical instrument makers,” according to The City Reliquary.
Some of these instrument makers have serviced acts like Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Wilco and U2, says curator Ben Wigler. This exhibit has everything from stringed instruments to foot pedals, and even allows visitors to play around with some of the instruments.
Also, if you happen to go to the museum on a warm day, you can check out the backyard, which contains even more artwork and artifacts. This includes graffiti, various structures and a recreation of Staten Island’s famous Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto.
If you want to check out The City Reliquary, head over to their website for more information. To take an even further look at Untapped Cities’ visit to the museum in our video tour of the establishment.
